Thief caught on camera brazenly swiping $7K parrot from NJ shop

A wildly brazen thief snatched a coveted African Gray parrot from a New Jersey chook retailer in a caught-on-camera daylight sortie that surprised the shop’s proprietor and left her terrified for the stricken avian’s life.

The unidentified suspect wore a darkish Nike hoodie when he strode into Birds by Joe 2 on Route 46 in Saddle Brook in Bergen County about 3:30 p.m. Thursday and requested proprietor Katarina Rukavishnikova if he may see the dear parrot, which prices a cool $7,000.

“This man got here in and began asking all the correct questions,” Rukavishnikova informed The Publish on Monday. “I believed, ‘OK, he’s going to purchase the chook.’ “

However that’s when the person all of a sudden seized the cage with the chook inside and flew the coop, leaving the shocked proprietor in his wake, in line with NJ.com.

“It truly took me a number of seconds to comprehend what was taking place — the truth of it,” she stated. “This by no means occurred to us.”

The shop’s safety cameras caught the entire thing, and Birds by Joe later posted screengrabs to the shop’s Instagram account.

Now, Rukavishnikova simply desires the chook again residence.

“We undoubtedly hope the chook is OK and alive,” she stated. “Sure, it’s some huge cash that we’re shedding. However on the identical time, I’m extra involved in regards to the well-being of the chook.

“Is it being taken care of? As a result of this particular person is everywhere in the information, did he drop the chook someplace? That’s my fundamental concern.”

African Greys, that are recognized for his or her intelligence and uncanny mimicry expertise, are coveted unique pets that might fetch a fairly penny on the black market.

Natives of Africa’s lowland forests, the species is without doubt one of the world’s most closely trafficked — greater than 1.3 million have been detected within the worldwide commerce since 1975, in line with the Worldwide Fund for Animal Welfare.

Cops are requesting assist discovering the suspect and have requested anybody with data to name the Saddle Brook Police Detective Bureau at 201-587-2940.